We are all well aware of the current drought in Texas but I’ll bet few if any are aware of the effect it can have on your plumbing and your foundation. Especially if your house is located on expansive clay soil. During a drought the soil contracts, often enough to cause large cracks that are visible on the surface and can extend several inches or even feet into the ground. This contraction also puts extreme pressure on under ground pipes causing them to crack or break. The most common problem is at the transition from one type of pipe to another, typically a PVC water line to copper water line. This transition is most often made with a female treaded copper fitting and a male threaded PVC fitting. The line usually snaps at the male PVC fitting. These transition fittings are usually located within 3 to 5 feet of the house and with in 3 to 5 feet of the water meter. The likely hood of a leak is greatly diminished when there is an irrigation system on the property. Keeping the moister level consistent year around helps limit the amount of expansion and contraction.